Mother nature can put on quite a show in the Sunshine State, but lightning is a dangerous, unpredictable performer. Here are some fast facts.

Mother nature can put on quite a show in the Sunshine State, but lightning is a dangerous, unpredictable performer. Here are some fast facts.

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Updated: 8:16 AM EDT Jun 19, 2015

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WEBVTT IT'S AWESOME AND WE HAVE OURLIVE RADAR APPLICATION, AS WELL.SANDRA, THANK YOU.IT HAS BEEN HOT AND DRY.WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF FLORIDA'SRAINY SEASON, AND HISTORICALLYTHE MOST DANGEROUS MONTHS AREJUNE, JULY AND AUGUST.THOSE POP UP THUNDERSTORMS.THEY'RE KNOWN TO HEAVY RAINS,BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY LIGHTNINGALONG WITH THEM.THAT'S WHY WE'VE DECLARED TODAYLIGHTNING ALERT DAY.STEPHANIE HAS BEEN HARD AT WORKON THIS PROJECT.SOME LIGHTNING FACTS TO GET OURALERT DAY STARTED.FLORIDA HAS MORE LIGHTNINGRELATED DEATHS THAN ANY OTHERSTATE.IN FACT, LIGHTNING KILLS MOREPEOPLE HERE THAN ALL OTHERWEATHER HAZARDS COMBINED, WHICHIS WHY WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT.[THUNDER]MOTHER NATURE CAN PUT ONQUITE A SHOW IN THE SUNSHINESTATE, BUT LIGHTNING CAN BE ADANGEROUS, UNPREDICTABLEPERFORMER.WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFICIALREGISTRY FOR LIGHTNING STRIKES,SO IT'S AN UNKNOWN FACTOR ABOUTEXACTLY HOW MANY OCCUR.SOME SOURCES WILL SAY 300 AYEAR.SOME SOURCES WILL SAY MORE.WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE.BUT HERE ARE SOME PROVENSCIENTIFIC FACTS.A LIGHTNING FLASH, WHAT YOU SEERIGHT BEFORE YOU HEAR THUNDER,IS ABOUT ONE INCH IN DIAMETER.ITS TEMPERATURE CAN BE ANYWHEREFROM 15,000 TO 60,000FAHRENHEIT.THAT'S HOTTER THAN THE SURFACEOF THE SUN, LIGHTNING TRAVELSABOUT 62,000 MILES PER SECOND ORONE-THIRD THE SPEED OF LIGHT.AND THE LENGTH OF AN AVERAGECLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKECAN RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 10MILES.IT'S HARD THE -- TO PLAN YOURLIFE AROUND, THAT BUT IT IS AREAL DANGER.NOW, FLORIDA HAS THE HIGHESTLIGHTNING STRIKE DENSITY OFANYWHERE IN THE U.S. WITH ABOUT12 STRIKES FOR EVERY SQUARE MILEPER YEAR.SO ERIN, PAUL, COMING UP AT5:30, TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THEACTUAL INJURIES LIGHTNING CANCAUSE AND ITS IMPACT ON THEBODY.SOME PRETTY IMPRESSIVE AND SCARYSTUFF.GROWING UP IN FLORIDA, MYWHOLE LIFE, IT'S SOMETHIIG YOUDON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED.IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.YOU DON'T.YOU TALK ALL THE TIME, YOU HEARTHOSE STORIES, EVERY ONCE MANY AWHILE, IT'S BEAUTIFUL OUT.THEN THERE'S A LIGHTNING STRIKE.

Lightning Alert Day: Lightning 101

Mother nature can put on quite a show in the Sunshine State, but lightning is a dangerous, unpredictable performer. Here are some fast facts.